Sally The Dunstable Witch Heading For The Big Screen

THE VINE MAGAZINE - LOCAL NEWS: Based on the poem by Alfred P Wire, the story of Sally The Dunstable Witch is now local legend and it seems Sally is well and truly ‘out of her bottle’ and determined to stay that way as director Heather Aspinall plans to bring her story to the big screen.

SALLY IS STILL OUT OF HER BOTTLE AND ON HER BROOM STICK… Heading For The Big Screen!

When I first read an article about Sally the Dunstable Witch there was nothing on the Internet and only a few brief references to her. Even the poem was difficult to find as it was dismissed as just a poem and of no interest.

But perseverance paid off and Sally is well and truly ‘out of her bottle’ and seems determined to stay that way. Her story can now be found all over the Internet either as TheDunstable Witch or The Witch in the Bottle. She has worked her way into ghost books, newspaper articles, local magazines, ghost walks and even has her own blend of tea at Priory House. A short version is translated into Polish and Filipino, twice her story has been told on the radio and club talks have raise money for GOSCH. The poem was first reprinted as closely as possible in text and design to the original 1875 version but is now in colour and available at Priory House.

Last year an article appeared in the local paper about a University student Heather Aspinall who had made a short film based loosely on the Sally story and is now in the early stages of making a feature length fantasy version. I was impressed with the film (which can be viewed below)and, feeling very protective of Sally as she is our witch, I contacted Heather and was able to give her the whole background story and since then we have corresponded regularly. In Heather’s version Sally is called Sallianne but don’t be deceived as although her outward appearance is of a young, attractive, blonde girl inside she is still the old troublesome, wicked Sally.

Speaking about her up-coming film, Director Heather Aspinall said “Trapped Magic: The Broken Blade is a feature film adaptation of the fantasy short ‘Trapped Magic’. Loosely based on the myth of Sally the Dunstable Witch and follows the journey of a troubled and unassuming teen who discovers a magic witch’s bottle containing the ghost of a malicious 18th century witch. The film is currently in pre-production with production starting in September 2018 and is to be shot in Dunstable and surrounding areas of the UK. The film again stars Callum Wernyj as Jack and Claire Pulpher as Sallianne. The team are currently working on makeup, hair, teeth, costumes, athame and an important prop has been already designed – the bottle.”

Heather studied film studies before starting work in post-production and became fixated with the story after it formed part of her post-graduate thesis at the University of York. She sought help from all over the world, cold-calling people and contacting them online to see who could help. As a result, she ended up with a team of volunteers stretching from the UK and Spain, to as far as India. She also had people contacting her to be a part of the project asking to act in the film, offering the use of a studio and a whole range of other contributions.

Though it is important to remember the poem was created for a reason, there’s no need to fear stumbling across her bottle when you are out and about in Dunstable, Sally is after all just a figment of Alfred P Wire’s imagination.

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